Kids’ Reading List: Little Joe

Fairs are some of my favorite events during the summertime. Blue ribbons, funnel cakes, rodeos and show animals looking their very best. It takes hard work, perseverance and a love for animals from the whole family to get the cattle, pigs, goats and more ready for the show.

The eighth book in our Kids’ Reading List series, Little Joe by Sandra Neil Wallace and illustrated by Mark Elliott, describes how Eli raises his bull calf, Little Joe, for the next year’s county fair. The heartwarming tale details the joys and discomforts of taking care of another living thing. Read along as Eli, and Little Joe, learn life lessons about growing up and taking on responsibilities.

Readers in fourth grade and up will be immersed in the natural world of the farm. This book appeals to readers who can have similar experiences to Eli and many more who share a love for animals. The theme of family love is apparent through the story, making it identifiable for most readers.